Tala entered Ishma's private conference room just as his legates dialed in from across the planet. Ishma was seated at the far side of a massive round table while his human steward, Centurion Salan, sat to his right with a data slate in hand. As the praetor approached, Salan looked up from his device and bowed his head to her.

  Ishma acknowledged her presence with a faint smile and gestured to an empty seat at the table. "Welcome, your Majesty," he greeted. "We will be starting momentarily."

  The praetor nodded and took her seat as holographic displays around the table flickered to life. Ghostly visages of each of Ishma's legates appeared in their respective seats around the table one by one—Arlox Bahz from his impregnable fortress in the Boreal Isles, Berelian Wren from her cobbled-together citadel in the Broken Keys, and Orin Nikola from his extravagant palace in the Andean Archipelago. Each of them greeted Tala with a respectful bow before turning their attention back toward Ishma.

  "Let us get straight to business," Ishma began. "As you all know by now, we engaged a Terran ship near Renatus's moon roughly twenty-four hours ago. The Terran ship was destroyed in the skirmish, but several of our own ships were damaged, including the loss of the cruiser, the Patriarch of Autumn. However, we believe a number of the Terrans have survived and made their way to the surface of Renatus. I have organized everyone I can spare to search Condor Island and the surrounding regions of the Allegheny Archipelago; I want each of you to do the same for your respective territories. There's no telling for certain where the Terrans may have ended up."

  The legates exchanged worried glances with one another as they processed this news. "How did we lose a cruiser to one ship?" Legate Bahz asked after a brief silence had passed. "That's... troubling."

  Ishma let out a frustrated grunt. "There was a team of Terran Vindicators aboard that ship," he explained. "They infiltrated the cruiser via a boarding action and took control of it before turning its guns on the rest of the fleet. It was... a terrible loss."

  "Vindicators? Here?" Legate Wren asked skeptically. "Are you certain?"

  "Without a doubt," Ishma replied with a nod. "Centurion Salan, would you mind showing them the security feed?"

  "Of course, sir."

  Salan tapped a command into his data slate, and another holographic display in the center of the table flashed to life with a low buzz. The events aboard the Patriarch of Autumn played out before them as the Terran team of four fought through the ship's corridors, cutting down any resistance that stood in their way.

  Tala watched as one of the Vindicators—their commander—used his telekinetic abilities to effortlessly hurl a pair of soldiers across the hallway before they could even raise their weapons in defense. The Terrans' power was terrifying to behold yet equally fascinating.

  Once the footage of the massacre ended, Ishma continued. "I suspect these Vindicators have made it to the surface alongside the Terran ship's crew," he explained. "I already have our satellite network searching for any landing sites, but I want each of you involved in the search as well. You are to spare no expense scouring your lands for any sign of them. Is that understood?"

  The legates exchanged glances once more before nodding in agreement. "Of course, your Grace," Legate Nikola replied on behalf of the group. "We will do everything we can to help find these Terrans."

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  "Good," Ishma said with a nod. "Should any of you find them before I do, know that I would prefer them taken alive if possible. We have no idea what the Terrans are doing on this world, and I would like to find out."

  "You don't think some silly humans managed to get out some kind of distress call, do you?" Legate Wren remarked half-jokingly. "Did the apes discover FTL communication after getting their little printing press up and running?"

  Centurion Salan shot her a questioning glance but said nothing. Ishma clenched his fists, struggling not to lose his composure in front of his subordinates. "Now is not the time for levity, Legate Wren," he replied tersely. "The Terrans are dangerous, especially the Vindicators. Capture them if you can, but do not hesitate to use lethal force if you must. Do whatever is necessary to ensure they do not gain a foothold here."

  Legate Bahz nodded in agreement. "I agree," he said. "We don't need the humans here getting ideas. A proper rebellion is the last thing we need on Renatus right now."

  Salan shifted uncomfortably in his seat at the mention of a human rebellion but remained silent as he continued to take notes on his data slate. Ishma sighed and shook his head. He and Bahz seldom saw eye to eye when it came to the humans, but he was absolutely right about this. Even after ten years of occupation, there were still pockets of human resistance. Renatus was a powder keg waiting to blow; all it needed was the right spark.

  "Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Ishma replied. "Do whatever you must to contain the threat."

  Tala watched a wicked grin form on Legate Wren's lips. She had always been eager to spill blood, especially when it came to humans, but now her duke had given her carte blanche to do so. "I will send out my best trackers, your Grace. But even if my people don't find them, the marauders will," she said excitedly. "They won't last long if they landed in the Broken Keys."

  "I will send out my own forces as well," Legate Nikola added. "But the Archipelago's jungles are unforgiving. It will be difficult for anyone to survive there for long."

  Legate Bahz nodded in agreement with his fellow legates. "I will dispatch my own search parties at once," he declared. "The Boreal Isles are vast and treacherous, but if they are here, my soldiers will find them before long."

  "Excellent," Ishma replied. "Each of you has your orders. Now go and see to it that they are carried out."

  The legates gave Ishma a bow before their holographic displays winked out one by one, leaving the three of them alone in the room. He relaxed back into his seat and turned to face Tala. "If I may ask, your Majesty," he said with a smile. "What do you make of all this? The Terrans, I mean. Do you think they're here to cause trouble?"

  Tala shrugged noncommittally. "Perhaps the Terrans' arrival here is the consequence of your actions coming back to bite you," she replied bluntly. "You waged a war against them, and I suspect they are still... displeased. But... if you want my honest assessment, this feels like a scouting party at best. You're dealing with a lone ship and a small group. Not an entire fleet and an invading army."

  Ishma nodded thoughtfully. "I am inclined to agree with your judgment, but the presence of the Vindicator team gives me pause," he said. "What is so important that they would risk four of their best?"

  "Perhaps it was a very important scouting party," Tala grinned. "In all seriousness, I think you can safely rule out any sort of coordinated invasion here—for now, at least."

  "That's assuming they don't slip through my grasp and report their findings back to their superiors," Ishma pointed out. "If they manage to get off this planet, I could face much bigger problems than just a handful of Terran Vindicators."

  "I suggest you hurry up and get to it, then," Tala remarked dryly. She stood from her seat and gave Ishma a bow before turning toward the door. "I have my own duties to see to. Good luck with your search, Duke Saul."

  Taladeparted without another word, leaving Ishma to contemplate his next move. There was little he could do now but wait for news from his subordinates, but he knew that time was of the essence. He needed to find these Terrans before they caused any more trouble on Renatus—or worse yet, escaped his grasp completely.